Shadow of the Wind #8

Everything at the shop was going well, even with Fermin being there, both Daniel and his father had enough confidence to leave Fermin alone in the shop. In one occasion, Daniel was left alone, after Daniel had closed the shop someone still decided to come in and make a type of raid. When the man left the shop Daniel crept out from the back of the shop to see what the man had taken, nothing was taken, but something was left. A picture of a young man and a young lady was laid on the counter top of the counter, on the back of that picture was the name Julian Carax. This astonished Daniel and looked for more clues around. he found out that the picture was taken at the hat shop not too far away. he headed over and decided to try and gather information, when he arrived he met an elder lady who had seen, and met Julian and his family. What the elder said never seemed to have been positive as all she described was fighting between the mother and father, and between the father of Julian and Julian himself. The family seemed to have been falling apart when Julians mother passed away. With this, Daniel was more determined to find out who Julian Carax was that he decided to enter his forgotten room. What can you think of, of being the strangest object inside of Julians room?

Shadow of the Wind #7

Daniel and his father are searching for someone to work with them to make runs such as finding rare books, or making any deliveries to people who have ordered things. When being in the search, Daniel thinks of someone that might be suitable for the job. He tells his father that he will return with a prominent worker, who will work for even the smallest amount of pay. He brought back Fermin. Fermin is the bum who gave Daniel aid after he had been thrown out of the house. When speaking with him, Fermin seemed to be a very strange yet very smart man, a man who could find anything, anywhere for a good price, a survivor. And that is exactly what he was, when taken into the "interview" he had a nervous look in his face, as he did not know what type of people Daniel and his father were. After having plenty of small conversations, Fermin accepted the job, and was given essential needs right on the spot, such as a bath, clean clothes, and a really nice shave. Fermin hadn't experienced something like that in a while. Though Fermin is new, and one shouldn't be quick to judge, will Fermin be faithful to his job even after being a bum? 

Shadow of the Wind #6

Before Julian was going to take the book to the cemetery, he had to of course, pick it up, the bad thing about that was that the book was at Clara's house. Daniel decided to go and retrieve the book so that he could go hide, it, when he entered the house he was able to fetch the book, but of course he ran into problems. when passing by Clara's room he heard noises, some were moans, others were light screams, but all in all, when Daniel walked into the room, he was received by a very heated sex session between Clara and the piano teacher. Daniel's eyes couldn't believe it themselves as they just watched astonished at what was happening. The piano teacher caught Daniel looking at them and got up from doing his business, went over to Daniel and gave him a beating that his ancestors felt from under the grave. When Daniel was thrown onto the street with his book he was welcomed by a bum, a bum whom he had met before but didn't aid, the bum then helped Daniel and took him to refuge. Why would the bum, who had been shut down the offer by Daniel to be helped, help Daniel at all?

Shadow of the Wind #5

In the section that i have read, Julian bumps into a man whom he has sen before, a man that he has seen, but never has talked to. This man has "no face", meaning that his face has been burnt. When they finally got to meet one another the guy began to interrogate him about the author Julian Carax. Daniel gets really worried as the man with no face begins to tell him all about his life and about his friend such as Clara. When Daniel hears Clara's name he reminisces about the time that Clara mentioned about a man whom she ran into the street and began to interrogate her. When she tried to touch his face to know what he really looked like, the man ran away, that seemed really awkward to her as people would let her because of her blindness. When Daniel came back from thinking about it he began to ask why the man wanted to book so bad, and was offering about twice the price than the older man offered. Rumors had gone about the city talking about how a man would go around finding anything that belonged to Carax, read it, and burn it. The man to whom Julian bumped into told him that he was the one that would burn Carax books, after that encounter, Daniel grabbed the book and headed back onto the cemetery of books and hid it there. Even though the man has found every possible way to get a hold of Carax books, will he be able to find it in the cemetery of books?

Shadow of the Wind #4

Today, during class i seemed to have had an epiphany. Nataly and i were trying to firuge our who Julian Carax was, so we began to point out suspects, and we came to two people. Daniel's father, and Clara's father. Daniel's father became a god suspect because through out the story he seemed to have been getting annoyed at how Daniel was paying too much attention to Julians book. In the end we thought that Daniel's father could be Julian for the fact that he is always trying to evade who he is, and where he came from, and knowing that Daniel's father had been through the war, the idea of him changing his name was very well plausible. The idea of Clara's father being Julian is even better for the fact that Clara's father was never heard of after the war. not only that, but he would write to Clara explaining how everything was going. When Clara was explaining this to Daniel, she said one important thing. The fact that the way that her father wrote made her get lost in the letter, as if nothing else was around until she finished it, that feeling is the same as the one Daniel felt when he read Julians book. Do you think that any of these suspect could be Julian Carax?

Shadow of the Wind #3

Until this point in the book, Daniel seems to be getting more and more attached to Clara. Clara seems to be a very interesting person as she is a blind girl who is in love with books. She, just like Daniel, has a very particular interest on Julian Carax-author of Shadow of the Wind-, because of his captivating tone, and syntax (ah!, AP's are over why am i still using these words!!!) just intrigues them into turning the page and keep reading. Clara has became very good friends with Daniel, and has told him personal stories such as her family history of how her father was part of the reform and was never heard of, but how the letters that were written to her by him were so captivating, as well the fact that a man once came up to her and asked her a series of random yet suspicious questions. Daniel is getting too attached to Clara, and because of this, it seems like he might be falling in love, thought she might be much much older than he is. the mistress has warned Daniel that he must not meddle too much with Clara as in the end he might end up getting hurt, this was brought up after a pianist teacher who is teaching Clara how to play was hitting on her. With the way that Daniel has been getting attached to Clara, is he opening his chances to get hurt? Whats the worst that can happen?

The Shadow of the Wind 2

When the story picks up again, Daniel meets a new friend named Clara. Clara is an woman who is blind and as well, Daniel still dresses up in his sunday clothes to meet her. Daniel then becomes an obstacle in his fathers life because he is not only now searching for who or what the book really is, but what Clara is really all about. While doing all of this, Daniel begins to try and re-marry his father, who does not really take amusement into his idea. Though many things are going through Daniel's head, his dream of being a novelist does not disappear, and also day dreams of how it would be to do what he loves for the rest of his life. Why does Daniel try to impress Clara with his way of dressing? Will she have get the feeling that Daniel is trying to impress her?

The Shadow of the Wind

To this point in the book, Daniel, a young boy, heads over to a cemetery of books, where books are left behind, but where each book has a spirit behind it. Daniel is taken to the cemetery after he is found crying because of the death of his mother, his dad takes him to the cemetery and explains to him that he may take one book. When he receives the book, Daniel finds it to be very thought provoking, and very enchanting. Being curious, he decides to ask his father about the title, and the author. When the father revises the book, he notices that it is a book he has never heard of, and as well an author that he has never heard of. They both decide to take it to a wise book store owner, the owner finds the book so interesting that he wants to buy it from him. Out of the same curiosity as the book store owner, Daniel decides to not sell it, but decide that they would keep further investigation. It seems like the book is a mystery it self, but has the mystery of the book brought Daniel to any danger such as people persecuting him for his book? Why has the author or the book kept such a secret that not even the wisest man of books cannot figure out who or what it is?

Their Eyes Were Watching God

"Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston, is about a young black woman named Janie Crawford who is searching for love, but love doesnt seem to be compatible with her; the book attacks themes such as love and relationships, quest for freedom, and holding secrets. Her first attempt at love was Logan Killicks who her grandma chose to join her in matrimony at a very young age. Joe Starks was her second attempt with whom she ran away with, and purchase a piece of land; Starks becomes the mayor where he built a grocery store and makes Janie incapacitated with anything that has to do with the business. Tea cake was the man with who she truly fell in love with, because of that, they relocate, and when they do so a hurricane occurs in which all of their belongings are destroyed, during the crisis Tea Cake helps Janie hold on to a cow so that she can survive, and takes a rabid bite from a dog; Tea Cake becomes ill with rabies and attempts to kill Janie, and because of that Janie is forced to kill him. After Tea Cakes death, she moves back to her home town, and re-tells her full detailed story to her friend Pheoby. 

-Would you ever consider taking some else's life to save your own?

Night

Night by Elie Wiesel is a narrative about the holocaust through the eyes of the author. The book follows a number of themes, two of them being ambition and quest for freedom. Through out the book, Wiesel endure pain, suffrage, and hatred; and though most would give in, he prevailed. his ambition became a key factor in the quest for freedom, because as he expected and fought for, his freedom came. Once outside, he enjoyed life much more, though the thoughts of people dying in front of him, and the constant shots fired and screams are still engraved into his head; he knows that the event is in the past, and he must live in the future.

-After being released from a place were one lived under fear of death change the perspective of ones life?
-What sense of will and strength must one truly have to be able to endure such pain? would you need someone beside you to endure the pain? do you think you would make it through?

The United States of Europe

The United Sates has been the superpower of the world for as long as anyone can remember. Which is something that will very soon change, Europe's strategies of using Americas history towards their advantage is working. Reid uses a cultural tone to explain how Europe seems to be taking everything that America has made, and made it their own. Although Europeans are not fond of Americans, they want to be just like them. Like the United States, Europe made their own currency, just as The United Sates did. Europeans have taken in The United States culture on a full on blast, Europeans have made such a big movement on American culture that now Europeans know more about The Unites States more than Americans do. Europe is kicking our ass in our own game. With Reid's wide ranged vocabulary, it becomes difficult to put the book down, as shows both the pros and cons about American stereotypes. His use of anecdotes keeps his readers entertained on what Americans look like to other nations.

Questions: 

1.) How can Europeans beat Americans at their own culture?

2.) Is Europe really the next superpower? Will they be better than the United Sates?

Oil Price Hits $100

In the editorial writen byan unknown author published January 3, 2008 (http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-oil03jan03,0,525705.story?coll=la-news-comment-editorials) talks about how the gas economy of the United States just went to an alltime high. Gas price just hit one-hundred on walstreet, and it seems like there is nothing that is going close to stopping it. Meanin that consumers will begin to suffer more and more if something isnt done about it. ¨Americans are beginning to change their fuel consumption habits, choosing to leave their gas-guzzling SUVs in the garage in favor of smaller cars (though perhaps not as quickly as the environmentalists among us would like)¨ The most popular vehichles are big trucks, SUV´s, and such others. In which case makes a lot of sense, but if Americans keep getting what they want and not what they need, the ecnomy will keep going down in a drastic way. The author seems concered himself because people do not seem to try to undersatnd.

This might not worry the wealthy class, but to the people that do not make so much income, it becomes a big impact. As we begin to look for a different alternative to getting from place to place. Which of course will take a lot of patience, which most people donty have, and a lot of courage to try something new.

Tone:Concerned/Informative

-Now that gas prices have hit an all time high, will you think twice about what type of vehichle you want to get?
-You think that now that gas has gone up higher, people will chose to walk? do you think thats good?

How Cliche

The freaking halarious editorial piece that appeared january 1, 2008 in the opinion section of the Los Angeles Times (http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-cliches1jan01,0,1115330.story?coll=la-opinion-leftrail) who has no author talks about the cliches that people have been using for what has seemed to be centuries now. Phrases that even Jesus himself would tell his friends. Some such like ¨Thing outside the box¨ or ¨Too much information¨. The editorial makes one think of why not change all the old sayings from 2007, and begin some new ones, become more original with ourselves. Since we as young kids would try to look up to someone else, why not have someone look up to us, not just because we have gotten ideas from our friends, but as well because we should have some type of landmark, something original that someone would be able to remember us by, its time to ¨THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX!!!¨

-Do you know any phrases that have seriously been overused?
-Now that we are going to begin our new year, do you have something in mind to change about yourself, to be stand outside of th croud?